NFLSigned free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers following the 2012 NFL Draft.

CAREERPlayed in 42 games with 16 starts during his career with the Tigers ... Best season came in 2011 when he earned first team All-America honors in helping lead LSU to a 13-1 overall mark and a No. 2 final ranking ... Voted one of five permanent team captains for the 2011 Tigers following the regular season ... Participant in the 2012 Senior Bowl ... Graduated in December of 2011 with a degree in general studies.

SENIOR SEASON (2011)Started all 14 games for the Tigers - 10 at left guard and four at right guard ... Played a team-high 823 snaps from scrimmage ... Registered a team-high 112.5 knockdowns ... Anchored an offensive line that ranked second in the SEC in rushing yards per game at 202.6 a contest ... Tigers tied a school-record with 35 rushing TDs in 2011 ... Posted double-digit knockdowns in six games (vs. West Virginia, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Western Kentucky, Arkansas), including a career-high 14 knockdowns twice: at West Virginia and versus Arkansas ... Played every offensive snap in seven games (vs. Oregon, West Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, and Alabama in national title game) ... Named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week after he led the team with nine knockdowns and helped pace the offense to a season-high 353 rushing yards at Ole Miss ... Earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week after he played all 63 snaps at left guard, led the team with 10 knockdowns and paved the way for 238 rushing yards against Florida ... Took over for an injured T-Bob Hebert and started at left guard against Kentucky where he remained the rest of the season ... Went down to a major leg injury in the 2010 season-opener against North Carolina and missed nine games before returning late in the year.

JUNIOR SEASON (2010)Went into the season as the starter at right guard but suffered a broken leg on LSU's first offensive play from scrimmage of the 2010 season against North Carolina ... Missed the next nine games but made a fast recovery which enabled him to return against Ole Miss in week 11 ... Competed in 86 total plays with 10 knockdowns in four games ... In his first game back from injury, saw action on 15 plays with four knockdowns against Ole Miss ... Recorded two knockdowns in 21 plays at Arkansas ... Returned to the starting lineup - his second career start - in the Cotton Bowl against Texas A&M ... Flourished with a season-best 49 snaps and four knockdowns ... Named to the ESPN.com All-SEC Bowl Team for his efforts in paving the way for two 100-yard rushers for the Tigers.

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2009)Backup on the offensive line at either guard position ... Played in 12 games with no starts, only missing the Washington game ... Served as a starter on LSU's kickoff return team ... Returned one kickoff for five yards ... Converted defensive lineman ... Played a total of 51 snaps on the offensive line, which included a career-high 32 plays in win over Georgia ... Saw action on seven plays vs. Auburn and 12 vs. Tulane.

REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON (2008)Played in all 13 games with no starts ... Saw action on the offensive line in three games - Appalachian State, North Texas and Georgia Tech ... Played on special teams, primarily on kickoff returns, in all 13 games ... Returned a pair of kickoffs for 15 yards ... Played season-high eight snaps vs. North Texas ... Opened season by playing five snaps in first game of collegiate career against Appalachian State ... Saw action on LSU's final offensive series in Chick-fil-A Bowl win over Georgia Tech.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2007)Redshirted as a true freshman in 2007.

HIGH SCHOOLA blue-chip defensive lineman rated among the best in the nation at his position ... Comes from a winning program after leading West Monroe to consecutive state titles in 2004 and 2005 ... Ranked in Rivals.com's Top 100 for 2007 ... Member of the Baton Rouge Advocate Super Dozen, New Orleans Times Picayune's Blue-Chip List and Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 ... Started sophomore through senior seasons and was named to the Class 5A all-state first team twice ... Finished his senior season with 54 tackles, four forced fumbles, four sacks and one interception for a touchdown ... Racked up 80 tackles and eight sacks as junior ... Coached by Don Shows.

PERSONALFull name is Robert Williams Blackwell ... Goes by Will ... Born Jan. 24, 1989, in Shreveport, La. ... Parents are Jimmy and Sara Blackwell ... Has one sister, Sally ... Graduated in December of 2011 with a degree in general studies.